CTR #54: New E-Government Plan Being Developed by Barbados

The Ministry of the Civil Service in Barbados is in the process of developing a new e-government master plan, Acting Permanent Secretary, Allyson Forte, disclosed, as he addressed attendees of a brief ceremony before signing a wide area network (WAN) contract between the government and Digicel (Barbados) Limited.

Forte further revealed that a knowledge management system would be implemented, and pointed out that the WAN would facilitate the process by providing the technical infrastructure. He explained that the WAN would serve as a key infrastructural element and a catalyst for government to aggressively implement its proposed e-government programmes.

“Additionally, the WAN is expected to play a crucial role in the execution of the HRD (Human Resource Development) strategy now being implemented. Knowledge distribution, through formal and informal networks, is essential to economic performance. Access to timely and reliable information is critical to decision making, policy formulation and programme implementation in the public and private sectors.

Telecommunications provider FLOW said it ended 2015 proud of its contribution to and promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship through its sponsorship of initiatives that drive growth in these areas.

Through partnerships such as the World Bank-sponsored hackathons Digital Jam 2.0 and 3.0, as well as the technology ministry-conceived Start Up Jamaica, FLOW said it has played an essential role in driving innovation and overall economic growth through the mentorship and development of budding entrepreneurs.

Additionally, FLOW is a major sponsor of the partnership with Biztown, which is a Junior Achievement of Jamaica initiative to provide primary-school students with actual work experience in various industries including telecommunications. FLOW has also partnered to help develop entrepreneurship through the Angel Investor network, where more established and experienced entrepreneurs connect investors with suitable projects.

Partnerships such as these are strategic because not only do they fuel innovation, they also instil confidence in our people to take a leap of faith into entrepreneurship, which ultimately spurs economic growth," said Garry Sinclair, FLOW's managing director.

As Cyber-Security will continue to be a major concern globally, a group based in Trinidad & Tobago has formed an Open Web Application Security Project or OWASP Chapter there.

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a worldwide non-profit charitable organization focused on improving the security of software. OWASP’s mission is to make software security visible, so that individuals and organizations worldwide can make informed decisions about true software security risks.

Everyone is free to participate in OWASP and all materials are available under a free and open software license.

Jamaican Robotics Team Wins First Prize for “Innovation and Strategy” at the RoboNautica

A Jamaican robotics team took First Prize in the Innovation and Strategy category at the Massachusetts state championships. This award is given to the team that develops the best strategy and uses the best engineering practices in the design and construction of an innovative, high-performance robot.

Two robotics teams from Jamaica were among 82 elementary and middle school teams that competed in the 15th annual FIRST LEGO (FL) RoboNautica competition held at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

The robots took part in the “Robot Game,” one section of the three-part competition. The robots were designed to perform various missions on a field simulated with LEGO pieces based on the 2015

theme of “Trash Talk.” The project involved determining how the team could generate lower amounts of trash. The winner of the“Champion’s Award” goes on to the First Lego World Festival scheduled for April 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2014, Jamaica won First Prize for “Gracious Professionalism” at the competition.

An IT Professional for more than 20 years and an entrepreneur since 1998, Russell Williams is the founder of,The IT Facility and has extensive experience as a Consultant, IT Trainer and facilitator and is happy to answer your questions. E-mail them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or follow him on Twitter @RwilliamsKN, G+ google.com/+RussellWilliamsKN and on facebook.com/RussellWilliamsKN